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Pennsylvania class battleship
The Pennsylvania-class battleships of the United States Navy were an enlargement of the Nevada class battleship; having two additional 14-inch (356 mm) 45-caliber main battery guns, greater length and displacement, four propellers and slightly higher speed. They also had a relatively large secondary battery of 5-inch (127 mm) 51-caliber guns, which was soon reduced when many of the guns' locations proved vulnerable to high seas. Design The United States Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair (C&R) wanted to remain with the Nevada class battleship design. However, the General Board disagreed and issued its 1913 parameters on 9 June 1911: twelve 14”/45 main guns, 22 5”/51 secondaries, 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph), and Nevada-class armor scheme. Minor rearranging of the secondary guns into fire control groups was designated and the 2 aft most positions being eliminated. The resulting ship carried twelve 14”/45 in four triple turrets, a pattern that would be carried on in each succeeding class up to the Colorado class battleship when twin 16 inch (410 mm) turrets were introduced. Pennsylvania was constructed as a flagship with a special conning tower added for that purpose. She would be the flagship of the Atlantic fleet from 1916–1918. Underwater protection The designers had noted the increasing size, range and explosive power of torpedoes as torpedo designs improved. Recent innovations now had brought torpedo designs with ranges up to 10,000 yards. In addition the design of the Davis torpedo was a concern. The Davis torpedo delivered an 8-inch (203 mm) artillery shell in a gun barrel housed within a torpedo. As a result a series of caissons were built (actual sections of the hull as they were proposed for construction) and tested with both external armor and internal armor. The Davis gun could cause damage but the answer to the Davis gun was external armor, the external armor however greatly increased the amount of damage caused by a conventional torpedo. As a result of the caisson tests the Pennsylvania-class battleships were designed with a 4 layer system of thin plating, air space, thin plate, oil space, thin plate, air space, followed with an armored layer 9.5 feet (2.9 m) inboard. This allowed the explosion to dissipate in the air space and deform the liquid loaded back plate. This section withstood the explosion of 300 pounds (140 kg) of dynamite placed against the hull of the caisson. This was considerably in advance of any navy at the time. Engineering This class returned to steam driven geared turbine propulsion, though USS Oklahoma (BB-37) of the prior Nevada class had experimented with reciprocating engines for fuel economy. Fore River was able to demonstrate better economic performance with geared steam turbines. The Pennsylvania class introduced the 4-engine 4-propeller scheme used in all further U.S. battleship designs. Operation and updates Serving in the western Atlantic in 1916–18, these ships visited Europe just after the November 1918 Armistice with Germany and were thereafter stalwart members of the Navy's Battle Fleet. Reconstructed in 1929–31, they received greater main battery gun elevation, tripod masts to support improved gun directors and modern Aircraft catapults. The ships' secondary gun batteries were updated, as was protection against gunfire, aircraft bombs and torpedoes. Now capable of long-range gunfire in an age when the role of aircraft was steadily growing, the ships spent another decade in the Nation's battle line. World War II The Pennsylvania''s were both present during the Empire of Japan's December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. USS Arizona (BB-39) suffered a catastrophic detonation of the forward powder magazines when a bomb from a Hakajima B5N "Kate" bomber from the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū hit between and to port of Turrets #1 and 2, resulting in the most dramatic and costly casualty of the raid. ''Arizona sank after a massive explosion that destroyed the forward part of the ship. USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was only lightly damaged, and she served in the Pacific throughout World War II. Fitted with a new secondary battery of twin-mounted 5-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber guns in late 1942, she supported many amphibious invasions and was present during the world's last battle between big-gun warships, the Battle of Surigao Strait on October 25, 1944. A torpedo hit in August 1945 damaged her propulsion beyond economical repair, wrecking three out of four shafts. She was repaired in 1946. Post-war period USS Arizona (BB-39) was salvaged in 1946, after which she was totally destroyed and sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. She was reconstructed in 1946-47 and modernized during the 1950s. USS Arizona's hull was enlarged from 185 metres to 256 metres, making USS Arizona the largest battleship of the Pennsylvania class battleship. Also a second superstructure was added and her main armament of eight 356 mm (14 inch/45 caliber) guns in triple turrets were removed and replaced with nine more powerful 406 mm (16 inch/45 caliber) guns in triple turrets. USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was also modernized and an reconstruction programme to reconstruct her was made in 1946. Her hull was enlarged from 185 metres to 250 metres, a second superstructure was added, her main superstructure was enlarged, and her main armament of eight 356 mm (14 inch/45 caliber) guns in triple turrets were removed and replaced with nine 406 mm (16 inch/45 caliber) guns in triple turrets. Construction The Pennsylvania class included two ships: USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), built by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia. Keel laid in October 1913; launched in March 1915; completed in June 1916. USS Arizona (BB-39), built by the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York. Keel laid in March 1914; launched in June 1915; completed in October 1916. Standard-type battleships The Pennsylvania class was part of the "Standard-type battleship" concept of the U.S. Navy, a design concept which gave the U.S. Navy a homogeneous line of battle (very important, as it allowed the Navy to plan maneuvers for the whole line of battle rather than detaching "fast wings" and "slow wings"). The "Standard" concept included long-range gunnery, moderate speed (21 kn), a tight tactical (turning) radius (≈700 yd/640 m) and improved damage control. The other Standards were the Nevada class battleship, New Mexico class battleship, Tennessee class battleship, and Colorado class battleship classes. Category:Pennsylvania class battleship Category:Battleships of the United States Navy